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We’ve probably all claimed to be “fighting tooth and nail” for something important, but in the wild, when the something important is your ability to survive, those weapons need to pack a serious punch…or bite.

We’ve talked before about how important claws are to an animal’s survival, but a bite—especially a predator’s—is equally vital; it may be the only chance an animal has to either defend itself or bring down prey.

For these five creatures—which boast some of the strongest jaws not only in Africa, but in the entire animal kingdom—it’s safe to say the bite is much worse than the bark…

Lion

At first blush, a lion’s bite—which has been measured at a force of upwards of 650 pounds/square inch (psi)—might seem extremely powerful; after all, the average adult human bites with a force of about 150 psi, and anyone who’s ever been on the wrong end of an angry toddler (and his or her considerably weaker jaws) knows how painful even our measly 100-200 psi can be.

But lions, believe it or not, have one of the weaker bites among the big cats; both jaguars and tigers bite more powerfully (cheetahs have weaker bites, and leopard bites haven’t been measured). Their bites can afford to be “weak”; lions kill their prey by crushing the throat, not by the sheer force of their attack. For that, 650 psi is more than enough “bite.”

Hyena

People think of them as just carrion-eaters, but with a 1,100 psi bite, hyenas are extremely deadly predators in their own right.

That bite helps them whether they’re taking down food in a pack, or simply picking over leftovers; hyenas are known to crush through bone while they feed, eating every part of a kill. I guess you can think of them as the original “nose to tail” eaters?

Animal bite force measured in pounds/square inch (psi)

Gorilla

They’ve earned a reputation as gentle giants, but don’t push it with gorillas; their jaws can clamp down with a force of over 1,300 psi!

Why would a gorilla need that kind of power? After all, they’re herbivores, right? And they like to do sign language with us?

True, but in the wild, struggles for dominance between silverback troop leaders can grow violent, even deadly (at least in part thanks to that brutal bite).

Hippopotamus

They’re often cited as the deadliest animal to humans in all of Africa (though there are other contenders for that title), and one look at a hippo’s massive mouth tells you why. Not only do they sport teeth that can grow up to two feet long and weigh in at over 6 ½ pounds, they can wield these natural weapons with forces of over 1,800 psi.

And they’re notoriously ornery. Basically, it would be smarter to avoid the hippos…

Crocodile

You’ll be crying more than crocodile tears if you ever have the misfortune to be bitten by one. That’s because at 3,700 psi, the crocodile’s bite is not only the strongest in the Serengeti, it’s the strongest in the world. Period.

Strangely enough, though, a crocodile’s fearsome jaws can be disarmed fairly easily. In fact a simple rubber band can prevent the animal from opening its mouth. All that clamping musculature apparently left no room for the reverse variety.

You feel free to test out the rubber band theory. We’ll just be cowering as far away from the river as possible.

From a young age, I was obsessed with wildlife and the natural world. I’d spend hours poring over the cards in my Wildlife Treasury Collectors’ Box, imagining what it might be like to see a Mustached Monkey or a Komodo Dragon in real life. Or better yet…what would it be like to have one for a pet? Throughout my childhood, my parents would let us keep all sorts of animals as pets – at one point we must have had over 60 mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish in the house!

Since then, my passion for wildlife has only flourished and has influenced many travels around the world in search of unique encounters with nature. I still thank my folks for nurturing my curiosity; had they not been so open-minded, I probably wouldn’t be here, organizing wildlife adventures for Thomson Safaris.

Last month, I went back to northern Tanzania to revisit Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti for another trip of a lifetime. This time around, I witnessed the tail-end of the migratory wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River, multiple lion hunts, several leopards, huge herds of elephant (one herd was around 300 individuals!) and even rare species like Lesser Kudu. The second half of my safari brought me to neighboring Rwanda for a different kind of wildlife viewing experience – hiking through the bamboo forests of the Virunga Volcanoes to observe Mountain Gorillas. This was uncharted territory for me and I was beyond excited to finally see these endangered primates in their natural habitat.

On the morning of my gorilla trek, I woke up to stunning views from Virunga Lodge of the surrounding alkaline lakes and the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Massif, which set the tone for this unforgettable day.

Once we arrived at Volcanoes National Park, the head ranger debriefed me and my trekking group on gorilla behavior and the gorilla group we would be visiting, the Agashya family. This particular group is made up of 26 gorillas including a 450lb Silverback, ten mating females and fifteen adolescents and babies; since most groups are comprised of 10 apes, with a maximum of 30, I was thrilled to be tracking such a large family with a stable social structure.

After a 30-minute hike through mountain-side farmlands that typify much of Rwanda, we arrived at the entrance of the national park’s dense and serene bamboo forest. The ascent was slightly difficult due to mud and loose terrain, but the pitch was very mild, so we were able to move quickly through the forest. Forty-five minutes later, the rangers stopped to inform us we were very close to the Agashya family and if we listened carefully, we could hear them waking up to start their day. It was true; we could hear twigs snapping as they moved through the brush, munching sounds as they started eating their breakfast and even conversations (a series of low-pitched, soft grunts)…our collective adrenaline began pumping.

As we rounded a thicket and entered an opening of the forest canopy, we made our first contact with the gorillas! We saw several females of varying sizes and ages lounging in their nests on the forest floor and even above us in the branches, their babies came out to greet us – sometimes walking within a few inches of our feet! And then at last, we all met Agashya, the massive Silverback for which the family is named (Agashya means “special thing” in Kinyarwandan).

The View from Virunga Lodge

Entrance to Volcanoes National Park with guide, Moses, and the gorilla trekking rangers

The first part of the trek took us through lush green farmlands, typical of Rwanda’s countryside

Gorillas nest on the forest floor and in the canopy above

Gorilla babies eat, sleep and play all day

This mating female sat silently observing her young

Meet Agaysha, the group’s lone Silverback male

Visiting with students of Mwiko Primary School, an excursion from Virunga Lodge

Traditional Intore dancers celebrating fertility and the new harvest

Even though I have seen Silverbacks on TV and in captivity, there is nothing like experiencing this magnificent creature on his own turf; suddenly his sheer size was unfathomable – an astounding fact to me, considering he will spend most of his existence feeding primarily on bamboo and other available leaves, stems and shoots.

Over the next hour, we observed countless examples of gorilla behavior. As they ate, the whole experience reminded me of a holiday meal with my own family; the young gorillas were almost always looking for trouble as they climbed all over one another and made a lot of noise, their mothers were working overtime to constantly set them straight long enough so they might sit down to eat, and all the while, the great Silverback, Agashya, looked on with seeming disinterest as he devoured his own meal of bamboo. I was totally enthralled as I got to take all of it in at very close range.

My gorilla trek has made a lasting impression on me. If you’re like me and have always dreamed of going on safari, my advice is, don’t wait. The world is changing and you never know what lies beyond the bend.

Mountain gorillas inhabit two regions in the world about 30 miles apart: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and the Virungas region, which includes Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hundreds of tourists trek through the mountains of these national parks each year to observe mountain gorillas, which live in groups of about 11 members. Each group consists of a silverback dominant male(s), named for the thick, silver hair found on their backs upon maturation; younger black-back males; females and their offspring.

While it is true that dominant males – who weigh in at 350 lbs. and can stand at an intimidating 6 feet tall – will fight one another to the death in order to protect their groups, mountain gorillas are actually shy and docile animals. Observing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat has proven to be a very special encounter for those lucky enough to experience it.

Our guests were some of the lucky few to do so. Following their Thomson Safari through northern Tanzania, Deborah, Stephen and Rebekah Yurco continued on a Thomson gorilla trekking extension to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. During their trek, they were very fortunate to find Ruvumu, who had delivered her twins just 3 days earlier. Deborah shares the details of her memorable sighting:

“We learned upon our arrival in Rwanda that twin baby gorillas had just arrived for the impressive band known as the Susa Group. With three silverbacks and 6 yr old twins already a part of this family, we didn’t care how far nor how hard we had to climb; we only knew that we had to get there to see these unique creatures for ourselves. Two and half hours and 3000 feet later, we received our reward. Close up and personal views of these precious babies!”

Thomson Safaris

Founded in 1981 and based in Watertown Massachusetts, Thomson Safaris has been handcrafting trips-of-a-lifetime for over 35 years. Tanzania is our only destination, and has truly become our second home. We’re excited to be able to share it with you through stories and features on our blog.